Credit: Matt Stone (file)

The Astros already had Dallas Keuchel. Then Lance McCullers became an All-Star, Brad Peacock came out of nowhere, and Charlie Morton had one of the better bounceback seasons in the game. Then they traded for Justin Verlander and won a World Series.

And now, the Astros are reportedly on the verge of a trade for Pirates ace Gerrit Cole.

Depending on the source, there is either a deal about to happen or talks are ongoing with nothing imminent. Either way, it seems clear the reigning champions are in the market for a significant rotation boost.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox are crossing their fingers, hoping David Price stays healthy, hoping Rick Porcello returns to form, and hoping Steven Wright, Eduardo Rodriguez or Brian Johnson can provide the back-end stability that was so fleeting last season.

Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has made clear that his offseason priority is finding a middle-of-the-order bat, which makes perfect sense. But he’s also suggested that pitching depth is a backburner issue, which makes the Red Sox’ as-is rotation an issue of risk-reward uncertainty.

Best-case scenario? It’s one of the strongest in baseball.

1. Chris Sale. Faded in September but still finished second in Cy Young voting. The list of better, more-established No. 1 starters is short.

2. David Price. Seems confident his elbow will hold up, and his postseason relief appearance was a reminder of what a difference maker he can be.

3. Drew Pomeranz. If he can repeat last year’s 3.32 ERA, he would be a top-of-the-rotation starter slotting somewhere in the middle.

4. Rick Porcello. Even if his Cy Young season was an outlier, he could fall short of that standard and still be a strong fourth starter.

5. Steven Wright. Expected to be healthy after knee surgery. Currently the fifth starter favorite until Rodriguez gets healthy or unless Johnson wins the job outright.

That’s a good group. And it just might have depth if Rodriguez returns in May and Johnson fulfills the first-round promise that he’s shown in bursts.

Or the rotation could fall apart by mid-summer.

Price made just 11 starts last season while dealing with a recurring elbow issue. He’s avoided surgery, but an elbow issue is difficult to dismiss. So is the fact Rodriguez and Wright have undergone knee surgery. Wright made just five starts last season and also has a domestic violence investigation hanging over his head.

Pomeranz was better than usual last year (question is whether he can repeat that performance), and Porcello was worse than usual (though he does have a career 4.25 ERA, a far cry from the 3.15 he posted in 2016). And if the rotation has to go much deeper than Johnson, it falls into the untested waters of Hector Velazquez, Jalen Beeks and Roenis Elias.

The Red Sox rotation could be a strength. Or it could be the fatal flaw that breaks next season apart.

But, really, how many teams are fully confident in their rotations? There’s always a wild-card element to a group of starters whether because of durability or consistency concerns. What sets the Red Sox apart so far is the fact they seem willing to let it be.

For comparison, take two teams the Red Sox should be worried about:

The Astros seem close to adding Cole to a rotation already headlined by Verlander and Keuchel, and they can fill the last two spots with some combination of McCullers, Morton, Peacock and Collin McHugh. Highest 2017 ERA of that bunch belonged to McCullers, who was a postseason standout.

The Yankees, meanwhile, have Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray, CC Sabathia and Jordan Montgomery. They’ve already re-signed Sabathia this winter, they traded for Gray last season, and they reportedly remain in the market for multiple rotation trade targets. If they don’t get one, they can turn to relievers Adam Warren and Chad Green – both former starters – or dip into their minor leagues with top pitching prospect Chance Adams.

Those are the last teams standing in the American League, each with already potent lineups, and each looking to significantly improve their rotations. Among other contenders: the Angels have added Shohei Ohtani to a rotation that’s deep with options but still short on proven durability, the Rangers already have added Mike Minor, Matt Moore and Doug Fister -- and they’re still linked to Yu Darvish and Andrew Cashner – and the Indians are returning their entire rotation, which was deep enough that Danny Salazar spent time in the bullpen last year.

The Red Sox are understandably focused on offense. That is their most glaring need. But as other American League teams close in on starting pitchers, the Sox’ own rotation concerns become more glaring by comparison.